Priyam Ahuja suggests that one should always make a health oriented New Year’s resolution because it makes us re-think about our body, our health, our fitness and what we want to be in life at least for a day . Sometimes, we follow it, sometimes we don’t but most importantly we realize what is missing in our life.
‘We should always make New Year resolutions which are very specific rather than being general’, says Ms. Ahuja. According to Priyam Ahuja, you will stick to your resolution if your resolution is to have an apple daily instead of a resolution which says I shall eat healthy food. Similarly, if you opt for a resolution which says, I shall make tomato soup every Wednesdays and Saturdays you would end up following it rather than saying I shall follow a healthy diet.
New Year brings with it a new ray of hope, freshness and optimism. let us gather all these ingredients and be what we always wanted to be – The new healthier ME!
Ms. Ahuja lists out a few easily doable New Year resolutions from which you can pick or all and incorporate them in your routine. She also takes us through why these resolutions are essential and how they would keep us healthy.
‘I would soak almonds in water every night and have it in the morning.’
Having soaked almonds early in the morning is the best way to start your day. Almonds are rich in proteins. We Indians generally have a diet deficient in protein and this shall work best to boost the protein content in our diet.
‘I shall eat at-least one seasonal fruit daily’
Fruits are loaded with anti-oxidants which fight stress and increases our good heart-friendly cholesterol as opposed to bad cholesterol. Survey suggests fruits are to be consumed once or twice a week, owing to their infinite nutritional properties. A minimum of one fruit should be consumed every day.
‘I shall include salad in my lunch’
Including salad during lunch gives us a three way benefit:
- The fibre in the salad along with the meal, fills our stomach and we can easily complete our target of portion control
- Salad is loaded with vitamins and minerals
- Salad helps us achieve one extra serving of vegetables. For those keen on watching their weight, salad is low calorie yet nutritious.
Health note: Salad when mixed with mayonnaise becomes your enemy rather than friend. Have salad but do not complicate it with a mayonnaise dressing. Instead, opt for yogurt dressing if you wish to. I love having them the natural way they are.
‘I shall have 12 glasses of water daily’
Water is the most neglected yet the most important part of our diet. We generally consume 1-2 litres of water. During winter the same lowers down to 1-2 glasses, we need to understand that thirst is not a signal to have water, thirst suggests that our body is already depleted of water, and our work progress is reduced to 20% simply coz there is less water.
Water helps remove toxins from the body. For those who feel they are eating healthy and yet are putting on weight, blame it on your water bottles which are kept far away from you. Its time to bring them closer to you and sip in water every few minutes and watch water retention vanish off and your weighing scale showcasing a positive difference.
‘I shall have breakfast every morning’
Skipping breakfast is the worst practice we end up following because we are getting late for work, or are busy preparing tiffin for our children for school. Take a resolution to never skip your breakfast and be 20% healthier than what you are today. Have a quick breakfast option like oats which cooks in 2 minutes and is healthy or sip a glass of milk and munch on muesli along with nuts on your way to work. Brown bread along with egg omelette also takes only a few mins and ensures health throughout the day.
‘I shall have green tea instead of tea and coffee’
With the increasing number of coffee houses, the culture of sipping tea and coffee is increasing among the youth. The older generation are still used to having tea every morning and evening. Both of these beverages though are good to have once a while. We Indians are sipping it frequently at least 2-3 times a day. We need to understand two negative effects of these beverages, one being the tannins and caffeine present in the them. Higher concentration of the same acts as toxins for the body. Green tea has antioxidants which detoxify the body.
Second negative effect of tea and coffee is its de-hydrating effect. Green tea on the other hand hydrates our body. Hence, whenever you feel like having a refreshing hot beverage choose green tea over others.
‘I shall have outside food only once a week.’
With the long working hours, convenience food and so many food joints to choose from at any and every food court and office canteen we end up having one major meal of our day at these joints. Home made food is much more nutritious than outside food.
Outside food generally has at least one of these: refined flour (maida), ghee, butter, cornstarch, oil, sugar, mayonnaise and other non-nutritious elements including artificial colours , flavors and preservatives. We understand that we do feel like relishing on food outside at times, but let’s try and limit it to one outside meal once a week and watch this making a huge difference in your fitness levels.
With these healthy New Year’s resolutions, Dietician Priyam Ahuja wishes all the Sify readers a very happy and healthy new year 2015. Stay Fit and stay committed to health.
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Ms. Priyam Ahuja
Diet and Nutrition Expert
Ms. Priyam Ahuja is an award winning anti-obesity expert and a passionate diet and health consultant. She is also a corporate health coach and a renowned sports nutritionist. She is often featured on national television and is cited as an authentic source of nutrition information. Priyam’s clientele includes highly renowned television actors, national level sports players, esteemed corporate executives, businessman, housewives, adolescents and children. She runs an online diet clinic called ‘Diet of a Dietician’ where she not only counsels her clients but also provides healthy recipes and nourishing tips.